GILLINGHAM 1 (Cox 90), UNITED 1 (Carole 28)

Gillingham: Royce, Clohessy, Cox, Sodje, Hamilton (Dickson 71), Nowland, Lomas (Mulligan 61), Crofts, Cogan, Facey, Graham. Subs: Stillie, King, Stone.

United: Ankergren, Richardson, Heath, Marques, Clapham (Huntington 59), Prutton, Douglas, Hughes (Westlake 59), Carole (Weston 75), Kandol, Beckford. Subs: Lucas, Thompson.

Referee: D McDermid (London).

Booked: Nowland, Cox (Gillingham), Hughes, Kandol, Beckford, Douglas, Ankergren (United). Sent-Off: Kandol, Beckford.

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Dennis Wise named an unchanged team as his United side went in search of a record breaking eight successive league victory.

Wise's men had equalled the record for wins to start to the season, beating Swansea last weekend, and an eighth would see them pass that and assume the post-war record for successive league victories.

And United had almost got off to a perfect start, Gillingham keeper Simon Royce reacting well to deny Tresor Kandol inside the opening five minutes.

Gillingham's first shot on goal came in the 10th minute when Matt Heath blocked an effort from David Graham.

United had the ball in the net after 15 minutes when Jermaine Beckford showed his confidence, converting a Kandol knock-down, but the in-form striker was denied by an offside flag.

The hosts were next to try their luck and Casper Ankergren made a good double save to deny Graham. The Danish goalkeeper also saved from Adam Nowland after a quick break by Barry Cogan.

The game continued to flow at pace and Gills keeper Royce pulled off another save from Dave Prutton, who worked himsefl a good opening.

United were also getting little out of referee Danny  McDermid. An apparent foul on Kandol went unpunished early on, Andrew Hughes found himself in the book before being given a stern lecture on 22 minutes, and Frazer Richardson was also given a talking-to before a Gillingham corner.

So it was no surprise when Kandol was booked in the 26th minute for protesting after what looked like another foul by Efe Sodje was given the other way.

But United got their noses in front moments later, ironically after Adam Nowland was penalised for a foul on Prutton.

Jonathan Douglas whipped a free-kick across the goal, Matt Heath headed it back, and the unlikely figure of Seb Carole headed home for his first goal for the club.

Referee McDermid made sure he took centre stage again, though, five minutes before half-time when he showed Kandol a red card after the striker applauded a decision to give Leeds a free-kick.

That left United down to 10 men with Beckford operating as the lone front man.

Despite being a man down, United started the second half brightly and forced the home side onto the back foot by winning a couple of early corners.

The cards continued to appear as well and Beckford was booked for chipping the keeper after the whistle went for offside.

When Beckford went down moments later - Sodje was again involved - the referee simply awarded a free-kick.

But the card was out again when play re-started, and this time Beckford saw red following a challenge on Sean Clohessy as Leeds were amazingly reduced to nine men.

Wise immediately made a double substitution, introducing Paul Huntington and Ian Westlake in place of Jamie Clapham and Hughes. The latter had already been booked and, with cards being brandished like Christmas, Wise clearly didn't want to lose anyone else.

Skipper Douglas was next to see yellow - on 65 minutes - after Gillingham's Graham fouled Carole and escaped with only a free-kick.

On 68 minutes Ankergren was handed a yellow card for reasons unclear, and the game threatened to slip beyond a farce.

Unsurprisingly, Gillingham looked to make their numerical advantage count, but they struggled to get any change out of the resolute United siude and even when presented a rare chance, Andrew Crofts headed wide from a corner.

Heath also did well to block an effort from Delroy Facey as United got men behind the ball and showed great spirit.

With 10 minutes remaining, Ian Cox had a great opportunity to level for Gillingham, but he fired high and wide from close range. Gills sub Chris Dickson also headed over as the clock started tick down on potentially United's best win so far this season.

In the first minute of stoppage time, Ankergren got down well to deny Graham, but the equaliser came from the resultant corner when Cox's header proved too powerful for a United defender to head off the line.